Vehicle-spring reliever



(No Model.)

0. B. ALBRIGHT.

VEHICLE SPRING RELIBVER.

No. 346,342. Patented July 27. 1 86. 1 -12% -UNITED STATES PATENT Farce.

CHESTER E. ALBRIGHT, OF MUNOY, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE-SPRING RELIEVER.

I'JPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,342, dated July27, 1886.

A pnlicaiion filed October 13, 1883. Serial No. 108,924.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Onns' nn E. ALB RIGHT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Muncy, in the county of Lycoming and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle-Spring Relievers, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a portion of a vehicle embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a side view of thehinge on a larger scale. Fig. 4is a perspective of a part of the hinge.

In the drawings I have shown a runninggear of one of the forms adaptedto have my improvements applied thereto.

A represents the front axle, B the rear axle, and G the bolster, whichis pivotally mounted upon the front axle, A, these parts beingconstrncted in any of the ordinary ways or in any preferred manner.

H represents a semi-elliptical spring,'secured by shackles or otherwiseto the rear axle, B, and to the bolster G. As shown, this spring issituated upon the central longitudinal line of the body, and is securedto the bot tom of the latter or to a bar thereunder by bolts, or in anyother suitable way.

A single spring, and that a light one, can be used, if the other partsof the running-gear be so constructed as that the spring be re lieved ofall unnecessary work and shall have nothing to do but receive the weighton vertical lines, and be relieved of all improper and unnecessarystrain. To thus relieve the spring I combine with it devices constructedand arranged as follows: Upon each side of the vehicle there arespring-relieving bars D D,

which, while being constructed and operating very differently from theside bars now ordinarily used, yet may be so arranged as to have verymuch the appearance of such bars. Each of these spring-relievers D D issecured pivotally to the body, the pivots being situated, preferably, onabout the central transverse line. The part D of the reliever extendsfrom the pivot to the bolster O, and the part D from the pivot to therear axle, B, they being respectively secured by clips, or in any otherj oins the hinge plates or ears together.

(No model.)

suitable way. The inner ends of these parts of the reliever are hingedtogether by a pivotal joint, the parts of thejoint being preferablyrespectively formcd on the ends of the two metallic bars l6 E, onesecured to the under side of the part 1) and the other to the part D.

One portion of the hinge proper is constructed with a hinge plate orcar, F, and the other with a corresponding plate or car, F. Preferably,these plates or cars are about onehalf of the width of the metal bars IlE, so that when joined together the faces ofthejoint or hinge shall beflush with the faces of the metal bars.

G- represents the pivot or pivotal joint which It is rigidly fastened tothe body by means of an inwardly-extending arm, 9, and two or morelateral arms, 9, adapted to be bolted to the under side of the body. Thepivot portion G may be provided with a nut or other fasten ing device atg", for clamping the hinge-plates of the joint thereon.

It will be seen that the body, when thus mounted and supported, will bepermitted to rise and fall freely upon the spring I I, for thespring-relievers 1) D at the sides, although connected with the body,yet allow it to rise and fall by reason of the hinge-connection. It willbe further seen that the spring is entirely relieved of any strain whichis experienced by the springs of vehicles as heretofore constructed. Asusually made, they have the parts so related and joined that the body isconstantly tending to strain the springs and their fastenings, it beingsupported in such way that its longitudinal motion, either forward orback, is transmitted immediately to the springs and their fasteningdevices, and so, also, are its lateral or sidewise motion and thetwisting or centrifugal motions.

In my construction the spring is relieved of all thisthat is to say,none of the motions of the body, either longitudinal or transvcrse,arctransmitted to the spring, all being received by the rigid and strongerparts of the gear. If the body should, by reason of its momentum, tendto move forward relatively to the wheel, its forward motion is instantlycaught by the as will be seen, being thus limited in both directions. 7

What I claim is- 1. The herein described joint for hinging the innerends of the partsD D of the springreliever together and to the body, ithaving the opposing hinge plates or ears F F, provided with a knuckle,which limits the downward motion of the body, and arranged to have theaxis between the ends of the bars, said axis being secured to the bodydirectly, substantially as set forth.

2. Theherein-describedjoint for hinging the inner ends of the parts D Dof the spring-reliever together and to the body, ithaving opposinghingeplates or cars, each provided with two knuckles, onelimiting-thedownward motion of the body and the other limiting the upward motion,and one being above and the other below thehi ngeaxis, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination of the rear axle and the frontbolster or other partsof the running-gear,

- the spring secu red to said parts of the runninggear on thecentrallongitudinalline of the vehicle and secured to the bottom of thebody, the spring-reliever having the parts D D secured at their outerends to the axles or other parts of the running-gear, and the knuckle- 0joint at the inner ends of the side levers or bars provided with stopsto limit the upward play, substantially, as set forth.

4.. A running-gear for vehicles, having a spring reliever consisting oftwo opposing hinge-plates placed side by side parallel with thelongitudinal line of the vehicle, said plates being formed withlaterally-projecting parts i, and each having aknuckle to limit the playof the vehicle-body, substantially as set forth.

5. In a spring-reliever for avehiele runninggear, the combination of thetwo bars at the side of the body and the metallic connecting pieceshaving hinged plates arranged side by side parallel with the body, andhaving parti-circular shoulders projecting laterally from said plates,as shown in Fig. 4, substantially as set forth.

6. Ahinge-connecting piece having an aperture for the axis or pintle, aplate transverse to said axis, a parti-circular shoulder concentric withsaid axis, and a stop, 1', substantially as set forth.

7. The herein-described connecting-pieces adapted to serve as a hinge,each having a plate transverse to the axis formed with a shoulder, i,and a partieireular concave projection extending laterally from saidplate and formed with a shoulder, 13, whereby motion around the hingecan be limited, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the body, the single central spring arrangedlongitudinally, and

the spring-reliever, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER ALBRIG HT.

Witnesses:

D. XV. BUFFINGTON, DE LA GREEN.

